N.W.A.
| Nice White Artists | |
|---|---|
 White performers Eazy-E, Dre, Cube, and DJ Yella
| |
| Background information | |
| Origin | California |
| Genre(s) | White folks rap |
| Years active | 1985−present |
| Label(s) | Moe-town Records |
| Former members | |
| Oxo Cube Dr. Drew Snoop Dogg 2Pac | |
“Fuck the NWA”
N.W.A. is an abbreviation for Nice White Artists, a hardcore polka/hip hop wrestling group that was formed in Compton, California. N.W.A.'s influence on American culture is that the recording industry exclusively used African Americans instead of white artists, in order to lower their costs. (Compton is a fictional city, somewhere between Neverland and Hogwarts and just east of Dr. Dre's container containing his beanie.)
Over the course of the six hours the group was together, they redefined the face of West Coast hip hop in both lyrical and instrumental ways, while rapping about murder, drug dealing, rape, misogyny, and drugs. Because of the harsh nature of their lyrics, they have been met with censorship, with radio stations beeping out their cusswords, which turned them into Niggaz Without Attitudes.
Criminal record[edit]
“Don't quote me boy, I ain't sayin' shit”
N.W.A first released the groundbreaking "Straight Outta Compton" in 1988. Many consider it a wake-up call to the problems that were going on in bourgeois Los Angeles. The only member who could possibly be considered an actual criminal in the group was Eazy-N, due to having been once caught urinating in public after drinking too much Shasta at a Phil Collins concert.
Some of the lyrics were considered highly dangerous, especially those of "Fuck the Police," their most notorious song about having sexual relations with police officers. It resulted in Milt Ahlerich, an assistant director of the FBI, sending a letter to Ruthless Records. Other lyrics brought embarrassment for certain members of the group. Eazy-N in particular was left red-faced when his Freudian slips during recording initially went un-noticed and led to the line "I'm the type of nigga that drinks peach schnapps, then falls asleep and gets a cock up his ass," appearing near the end of the track Gangsta Gangsta.
After the formation of N.W.A., Bel-Air "rapper" Will Smith started his own rap super-group, N.W.G.A., or Niggaz With Good Attitudes, despite the obvious impossibility of recruiting musicians who fit the bill. Ice Cube threatened to sue for copyright enfringement, but N.W.A. members had been too intoxicated on Purple Drank and Malt Liquor to copyright their name. Alternatively, N.W.A. constantly criticized N.W.G.A., calling them "gay ass hell". During the 1988 MTV Music Awards, Ice Cube assaulted Will Smith. It is pretty obvious that the "Self Proclaimed" Prince of Bel-Air Cannot drop a rhyme or stick and move if his life depended on it.
N.W.A. had many internal problems; Ice Cube quickly melted, and Dr. Dre was sued for impersonating a medical professional. This lead to the group's dissolution and Dr. Dre giving up on the music industry and instead purchasing a cute and friendly snoop dog.
Lyrics[edit]
N.W.A.'s lyrics are regarded as the most sophisticated and poignant poetry in modern American history. Their lyricism, taking inspiration from Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman and various trash-talking 12-year-olds, was intellectual, insightful and with a sense of immense wit. Songs such as "She Swallowed It" communicates a deep respect for the opposite sex, and "Gangsta Gangsta" was a subtle, between-the-lines allegorical lyric that implied that the members of N.W.A. could be a little violent sometimes.
The songwriting of N.W.A. would enthuse English teachers and conservative policians alike, which led to a special recommendation from Tipper Gore and other rap fans, who felt that N.W.A. provided strong role models and had a literary depth that should be disemminated to young people. Therefore, they created a special label that was printed on their album covers. A small sticker claiming: Parental Advisory: Deep and insightful lyrical content.
Later history[edit]
As with most organizations, N.W.A. evolved, shedding its hip hop origins and embracing larger commercial platforms. With the acquisition of a fleet of Nissan sedans, the brand gradually acquired significant market share in the Southern California car rental industry. Now with franchises in 47 cities and 19 regional airports, N.W.A. is one of the top options for folks on the go and savvy consumers who seek well-maintained, late model vehicles at reasonable prices.
Follow-on acts[edit]
After the rollicking success of N.W.A., the same studio that gave the world the Monkees assembled an imitation group using white artists. They were known as W.W.A. (Wiggaz With Attitude). Wearing their slacks so as to display two inches of butt crack was as scandalous in America as the gyrating hips of Elvis Presley had been a generation earlier.